In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Newcastle United Hall of Famer Rob Lee says he hates the formation and system the Magpies are persisting with, and feels sorry for the likes of Dwight Gayle having to play as a winger.
Since Graeme Jones joined Newcastle they have adopted a split striker system which sees the two strikers play wider and allows midfielders to arrive into the box unmarked, however Lee doesn’t believe the Magpies have the players to play this way.
Should Newcastle persist with this system?
Yes, it’ll come good!
No, it’ll take us down!
Lee would like to see players deployed in their natural positions for the remainder of the season, stating that Gayle is a goalscorer and if he’s on the wing, he won’t be able to get the goals Newcastle desperately need.
Speaking on the split striker system which has become the norm on Tyneside and why he feels for Gayle at the minute, Lee told FFC exclusively:
“I don’t like the formation they play. I don’t think we’ve got the players to play it and I know it’s Graeme Jones’ preferred way of playing, he likes his two strikers to split, but personally, I hate it.
“I feel sorry for the likes of Gayle because they barely touch the ball and you have to realise what Dwight Gayle is. He is a guy that can score goals and he’s brilliant at doing that.
“He’s very quick and plays on the last defender but he has to be around the box not wide because he’s not going to give you anything there.
“They seem to be persevering with this system and it’s not for me to say, but from looking inside and from what I’ve seen we haven’t got the players to play that way.”
Dwight Gayle was signed to help get Newcastle out of the Championship in 2016 and over his career, he’s proved his ability in the box having scored 165 goals in 248 games.
The Magpies lost their potential six-pointer against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening, and have to bounce back when they host Tottenham Hotspur on April 4.